4 Areas That Drive Effective Church Assimilation
Every area of ministry in your church is enhanced when you focus on developing an effective assimilation process. Discipleship thrives because there’s a process in place to move people into a deeper relationship with Christ. Community flourishes because people feel connected. Overall church health improves because there’s a plan in place to help people continually grow.
While each church’s assimilation process is unique, there are certainly elements included in every process. Here are the four primary parts or processes that need inspection if you want to build an effective assimilation process in your church:
1. Hospitality
There are two elements to successful hospitality—passive hospitality and active hospitality. Passive hospitality includes directional signs and maps that make navigating the campus easier. Active hospitality involves real people who watch for ways to assist anyone entering the facility.
Are your volunteers trained and equipped to provide the kind of active hospitality needed to make first-time guests feel welcome?
2. Information Gathering
It is overwhelming when churches provide too many ways for the first-time visitor to connect. Don’t provide a catalog of options. Make it very simple and clear. Provide one or two primary options for taking the next step. As people move deeper, you can record more valuable information to increase the level of commitment.
Do you have a simple process for intentionally gathering information that helps you connect with every single person who walks through your doors on Sunday?
3. Follow Up
This doesn’t require a lot of creativity — simply follow up with your visitors and say hello. While this may seem too easy, it is important to evaluate your process regularly! Effective follow-up should help your members and visitors experience one-on-one ministry.
Is your follow-up process leading to more relational connections with the people in your church or are you letting people slip through the cracks?
4. Connection
This step is the end of assimilation and the beginning of discipleship. There should be a smooth handoff to someone who can guide people to go deeper in their relationship with God and their connection to the church. If you aren’t assimilating people, you will be increasing the number of spectators rather than growing strength in the Body of Christ through active disciples.
How are you moving people from visiting your church to becoming active members?
The difference between a church that has successful assimilation and one that doesn’t is how well these parts are working individually and collectively. If any of these four areas in your church’s assimilation process need a “tune up,” check out “The Assimilation Engine.” Effective assimilation can multiply your ministry efforts and maximize your Kingdom impact.
Is your church’s assimilation engine running well? What area needs the most improvement?
Read more from Steve here.
Tags: Assimilation, Church Community Builder, Connection, Hospitality, Steve Caton
